Profile: In 2009, Wuertz was one of the best relievers in baseball, striking out more than 11 per nine innings pitched and posting a 2.37 FIP in his first season in Oakland. After two poor seasons, featuring climbing FIPs (5.46 in 2011), declining strikeout rates (8.55 K/9 in 2011) and rising walk rates (6.95 BB/9 in 2011), Wuertz finds himself out of a job and hoping to catch on somewhere for 2012. Wuertz will turn 33 this off-season -- not young, by any means, but certainly not old when you consider the longevity of many relief pitchers -- and has seen declining velocities the past couple years, to match the declining performance, suggesting that this fall-off isn't just a fluke. That said, he has also been battling injuries to his hamstring and thumb, and how that has impacted his performance is hard to tell. Wuertz is unlikely to end up in a closing role, limiting his fantasy value in most formats, and he hasn't shown enough the past couple years to justify grabbing him for his rate stats. If he proves to be healthy come opening day, watch his velocity -- if the speed is back, the performance may follow. (Chad Young)

The Quick Opinion: Wuertz may be nearing the end of his career, as declining velocity has led to a significant drop-off in performance. Keep an eye on those velocities early in 2012 -- if they are back up where they were in 2009, the results may improve as well, otherwise, steer clear.